Firefox is an alternative browser to Internet Explorer and other web browsers.
At the top of the screen, you'll find the Awesome Bar (a space for typing in Web addresses), a small search panel and a row of buttons -- the typical tools for common Web-surfing activities. Forward, back, home, reload and stop can all be found in this basic setup. These buttons, like just about everything else in Firefox, are fully customizable. You can rearrange them, get rid of some of them or add new ones.
The Awesome Bar isn't just a place to type in Web site URLs. It's linked to your browsing library. If you visit a site like HowStuffWorks.com regularly, Firefox's Awesome Bar will learn and anticipate your browsing habits. As soon as you begin typing "how," the browser will pull up a list of sites you've visited that it thinks you want. You can just pick from the list in the drop-down menu and the browser will take you there directly.
Now, if Firefox is so similar to Internet Explorer, why bother switching? There are quite a few reasons, but the most important for many users is security.
There is much debate over the security of Web browsers, stemming mainly from Internet Explorer's vulnerability as a common target for hackers and virus writers. Microsoft regularly releases patches and updates to fix security holes in Internet Explorer that might allow someone to install malicious software or steal information from a computer. Firefox has not been the focus of hackers so far, but that doesn't mean it's inherently safer. For now, Firefox is enjoying a reprieve from viruses and hackers primarily because, compared to the widespread use of Internet Explorer, it is relatively small-time. Most hackers haven't bothered exploiting Firefox yet, because the low yield means it wouldn't be worth their efforts. As Firefox becomes more popular among Web browsers, that may change.
Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/firefox2.htm
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